High transparency and triboelectric charge generation properties of nano-patterned PDMS

Triboelectric charge generation and high transparency properties of the nano-patterned PDMS, which was stamped by silicon subwavelength grating structures as a mold, on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were investigated for triboelectric nanogenerators. At visible wavelengths, the nano-patterned PDMS on ITO coated PET (i.e., ITO/PET) exhibited high transmittances of >85%, together with a theoretical analysis using the RCWA simulation. When the ITO/PET was compressed onto the nano-patterned PDMS on ITO/PET, the output voltage and current density were reliably generated with a short interval time of 0.17 s, which yielded -5.2/5.4 V and -0.57/0.74 mu A cm(-2), respectively, under a low external pushing force. The effect of pushing frequency on the output voltage and current density was also investigated.